(1) Field of The Invention
This invention relates to computers and more particularly to stands or frames for supporting computer printers.
(2) Prior Art
Computers and their peripheral equipment have become universal over the past generation. The number of products has grown exponentially. In offices all over the world, it seems as though everyone has a computer and a printer on or near their desk. This has unfortunately taken up a lot of space on the user's desk, or it has made it somewhat inconvenient to keep an eye on the computer and oversee the printer output at the same time.
One approach to making a desktop system more space efficient is to reduce the size of the components. Printers are limited to a particular minimum size because they operate on a particular size of paper.
Murphy U.S. Pat. No. 4,570,802 shows a printer stand which supports a printer at an angle of from 45 degrees to 60 degrees from the horizontal. This stand permits only a particular printer for which the stand is made, to receive paper from a bracket behind the printer, to feed up and over the back of the printer, and to deposit the printed pages in a folded manner behind the printer and printer stand. It however, does not really minimize the footprint of the printer nor permit the head of the printer to be disposed downwardly as well as allowing easy surveillance of the paper output.
Mueller U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,065 shows an inclined printer stand, however it suffers from the drawbacks of the Murphy printer. That is, it does not minimize the footprint while still allowing easy manipulable control over the output of paper therefrom.
Gauss U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,202 shows an inclined printer stand for changing the direction of the center of gravity, but does not take advantage of the minimizing of its footprint.
A further printer stand is shown in Chang U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,506, wherein a large frame holds a supply of paper for the printer and receives the printed paper, fan folded thereunder. This printer also fails to minimize the footprint of the stand, or allow easy access to the paper as it comes off of the printer.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable stand which will accept most any type of impact printer, with a minimum footprint, while allowing easy viewing and control of the paper output of the printer, immediately in front of the printer.